The three-match T20I series between Bangladesh and the Netherlands are scheduled to take place at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, as stated by Bangladesh Cricket Board Cricket Operations Chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim on Sunday.
BCB has yet to announce the schedule of the series, which is part of their preparations for the forthcoming Asia Cup; however, it was learnt that the Tigers will also begin a preparation camp from August 6 in Dhaka.聽
According to Fahim, the national team鈥檚 coaches and support staff are expected to arrive in Bangladesh from August 11, ahead of the skill-based training phase.
鈥楾he camp will begin in Dhaka on the 6th, starting with fitness training. The coaches will begin arriving on the 11th, 12th, or 13th. Once they鈥檙e here, we鈥檒l shift to skill work. After that, the camp will move to Sylhet. We鈥檒l practice there for a few days and, Insha鈥橝llah, play the series against the Netherlands in Sylhet.鈥� Fahim told the media on Sunday.
Fahim elaborated why Sylhet was selected as the sole venue, as it offers batting-friendly pitches, which will provide ideal preparation for the Tigers ahead of the tournament.
鈥榃e can鈥檛 replicate foreign wickets exactly. But the best possible batting surface we have here is probably in Sylhet, where there are decent scoring opportunities. In T20s, you need pitches that allow for runs, and Sylhet offers that. We鈥檙e trying to host the games there so we can prepare as ideally as possible,鈥� he explained.
The Dutch team is expected to arrive in Dhaka on August 14 for their first-ever bilateral T20I series on Bangladeshi soil. The two sides last faced off in the 2024 ICC Men鈥檚 T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Asian Cricket Council has confirmed the venues for the Asia Cup, with Bangladesh scheduled to play all their group matches at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Bangladesh is drawn in Group B alongside Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. The regional tournament kicks off on September 9.
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, is the other venue for the tournament, which will be held in T20 format instead of the traditional 50-over format, keeping the T20 World Cup next year in mind.
The Tigers will start their campaign on September 11 with the match against Hong Kong. They face off against Sri Lanka on September 13 and take on Afghanistan in their final Group B match on September 16.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are in Group A along with Oman and hosts UAE. The Group A teams will play all their matches in Dubai.聽
All matches will begin at 8:00pm Bangladesh time, except for two games on 15 September, when UAE faces Oman at 6:00pm in Abu Dhabi, and Sri Lanka plays Hong Kong at 8:00pm in Dubai.
The top two teams from each group will move to the Super Four stage, where each team will face the others once. The top two from this round will advance to the final on September 28.
Dubai will host most of the tournament, including the final 11 matches in total. Abu Dhabi will host 8 matches, including one in the Super Four phase.
